Creative director Simone Ng describes how her brand interprets a story and then uses it to inspire a creation.

“Through the magic of storytelling, jewelry design becomes an ineffable art,” believes Simone Ng, founder and executive creative director of Simone Jewels. The jeweler recently became the first Singaporean brand to be stocked at luxury department store Harrods in London. The offspring of jewelry lovers — her maternal grandmother sourced gemstones and her paternal grandfather founded a chain of 15 jewelry and watch stores — Ng launched her brand in 2006 and has received multiple accolades from the industry.

Her jewels are inspired by history, architecture, and culture. In her collection Romance du Art Nouveau, created in 2016, the oriental elements of ukiyo-e combine with Art Nouveau motifs. The following year, she collaborated with award-winning architect Jason Pomeroy to create her Jewels of Architecture line. As a certified gemologist, Ng has an eye for the best and selects colored gemstones with a commitment to quality. Here, she discusses what wearable art means to her, as well as her creative process and how she sources her gems.

The Romantic Hope ring with blue spinel, diamonds, peridot, black mother-of-pearl and  white quartz. Photo: Simone Jewels.
The Romantic Hope ring with blue spinel, diamonds, peridot, black mother-of-pearl and white quartz. Photo: Simone Jewels.

How do you define the term “wearable art?”
In my definition, it is the art of interpreting a story and then using that story to inspire a creation. It is also the art of encouraging meaningful conversations around the finished piece. Wearable art must be beautiful, comfortable, and crafted with excellence right down to its fascinating details.

How are your Singaporean identity and predilection for jade reflected in your creations?
Our collections tell tales of the world. They share slices of history, translating them into jewelry designs. Not all our pieces incorporate jade. In line with our ethos, “Yesterday’s tales, today’s creations, tomorrow’s inspirations,” we believe we can learn from history to improve on today so that we may inspire tomorrow. Jade is used in Parisian Chinois, one of our thematic collections. The friendship between French King Louis XIV and Emperor Kangxi resulted in many cultural exchanges, which helped to introduce each nation’s lifestyle and culture to the other. As a result, the history of fashion was changed forever. Parisian Chinois reinterprets some of the artistic fusion styles that emerged from the Sino-Franco interactions. Its pieces dazzle with a blend of European and Asian motifs.

Faberge delight necklace in 18-karat white and rose gold with ruby, diamonds and enamel. Photo: Simone Jewels.
Faberge delight necklace in 18-karat white and rose gold with ruby, diamonds and enamel. Photo: Simone Jewels.

Why do you think that “Colored gemstones can reflect their owner in ways that other gemstones cannot?”
Unlike white diamonds, colored gemstones have both luster and color. The variety of colors is endless, with each evoking a different emotion. Color association is also imbued with meaning, for example, when it comes to a birthstone. From a collector’s point of view, different types tell a different story. Collectors are always chasing after rare gems, some of which are found only in one location in the world. Other stones have color-changing properties. From an aesthetic point of view of the wearer, color improves and complements different skin tones.

Are young customers and millennials influencing gemstone trends?
These customers are very interested in a brand’s story and what it stands for — especially how it relates to social and environmental impacts. The traceability of gemstones therefore becomes very important. While some technology can track a diamond’s trajectory from its source, it is not so readily available for colored gemstones due to the vast variety, the numerous mines in different locations, and the many participants in the sector. For these reasons, the number of players in the lab-grown diamond space has grown. It is, however, arguable if lab-grown stones are better for the environment and some contend that their manufacturing processes have an even larger carbon footprint. Although some positive changes may take place because of the buying patterns of young customers and millennials, these changes are likely to be very slow. After all, this is an industry with hundreds of years of tradition behind it.

Oriental Waves earrings with Malayan garnets, blue sapphires and diamonds. Photo: Simone Jewels.
Oriental Waves earrings with Malayan garnets, blue sapphires and diamonds. Photo: Simone Jewels.

Are there gemstones that you feel will become trendy? Do you see any falling out of favor?
The way customers view gemstones is correlated to how much information they have. Popular ones such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires are often sought after because they have been the traditional stones worn by royalty and the nobility. Therefore, everyone wanted them. The other gems, however, did not seem as appealing, so people labeled them as semi-precious. This is one of the biggest misconceptions. Today, with the vast amount of information on the internet, consumers are becoming more educated on the beauty and variety of colored gemstones available. Some are even more rare than those labeled as precious.

The Jewels of Architecture collection shows the potential of combining two worlds to create exceptional pieces. What other worlds can jewelry complement and enhance?
Jewels of Architecture was a capsule collection in collaboration with Professor Jason Pomeroy — British architect, author, and TV presenter — whose ancestors owned the Pomeroy Castle in Berry England. The collection features six buildings that not only chronicled the evolution of British architecture, but also influenced Jason’s personal journey. The result: six truly unique bejeweled rings. Each one has a secret compartment under a sugarloaf-cut gem that holds micro-sized details of the building’s interior. There are many other potential collaborations between different worlds, such as fashion, music, furniture, etc. Creativity is endless.

Music Box necklace with blue sapphires, chrome tourmalines, blue spinel, Tahitian pearl and diamonds. Photo: Simone Jewels.
Music Box necklace with blue sapphires, chrome tourmalines, blue spinel, Tahitian pearl and diamonds. Photo: Simone Jewels.

How has the pandemic affected the colored-stone market and your brand in particular? Can these changes be positive in some way?
Because most of the mines are in rural areas, the pandemic crippled the ability to conduct mining as usual. Transportation is another problem. As a result, the availability of high-quality colored gemstones has decreased. We were affected only slightly because we had built up a huge inventory before the pandemic struck. On perhaps a positive note, the demand for quality colored stones has increased during this time. And because of limited supply, the prices have also risen.

How do you see lab-grown gemstones? Can they also have stories to tell as part of your brand?
Lab-grown is a space that I am not too sure of entering. What Mother Nature has created can never replace something that is manmade. We heartily support recycling gold and existing gemstones in our Recycling Your Jewellery campaign, which is our contribution to a more sustainable industry.

Versailles Meet East earrings with aquamarines, ice jade, and diamonds. Photo: Simone Jewels.
Versailles Meet East earrings with aquamarines, ice jade, and diamonds. Photo: Simone Jewels.

Main image: Simone Ng, Founder & Executive Creative Director of Simone Jewels.

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Bilingual journalist, content creator, and podcast producer.

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